Sedge's Adventures in Atlantis: ... and in health (7/?)
Title: Sedge's Adventures in Atlantis: ... and in health
Author: vickysg1
Summary: A blessing, a present...
Type/Pairing: Romance, John/Elizabeth
Main Characters: John Sheppard, Elizabeth Weir, Teyla Emmagan
Rating: G
Spoilers: A small one for The Siege part 3 (2-01)
Beta: csiangel
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: And here we go, the 7th stories in the series. As always, it had taken a long time for me to write and post it… I'll try to do better next time! :P Thanks to all those who read and review this series!
Feedback: is love!
1. Meeting in a park
2. Going home
3. First day
4. Making new friends
5. A little prank
6. In sickness...
"John I'm fine, stop keeping watch on me like a mother hen," Elizabeth said without even looking up from the report she was reading.
"How did you know I was even there?" John asked from the threshold of her office.
"Let's just say I knew," she answered him, not knowing exactly how either; she couldn't explain but she just knew when he was around.
Ever since she fell sick two weeks prior, he had been there for her, even now that she had totally recovered. He had conscientiously seen that she ate three meals a day and that she didn't work too late at night. If in the first days after Carson allowed her back to work she had found it cute (not that she would admit it in front of anyone), now she was getting tired of it.
"Anyway," he continued, "Teyla has just asked me if I can take her to the mainland. Halling requested her presence ASAP."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked, worried that something had happened.
"Nothing serious," he reassured her as if sensing her thoughts. "One of the women is having her child...," he explained, struggling to remember the name Teyla gave him.
"Kalin," Elizabeth provided.
"How do you know? Has Teyla contacted you?"
"No, but she told me about her a few weeks ago. She told me she had to be there for the birth."
"Yeah, as the leader of her people, she has to bless the child as soon as it is born. So, I thought that maybe you and Sedge could come with us. It's been a little while since you had last been there..."
"We went there last week," she reminded him.
"Oh, really?" he feigned to have forgotten and she smiled at that. "So, are you coming?"
"I would have loved to, John, but I'm loaded with work," she said, pointing to her data pad.
"You can do it later…," he tried, though he knew it wouldn't work.
"John…"
"I know, I know. I'll take Sedge then."
"Thanks, John."
"No need to. I'm sure the kids would be happy to see her. Well, Teyla's waiting for us, so… See you later, Elizabeth. Sedge, you coming?" he said, gesturing for the dog to follow him.
Without even a look towards Elizabeth, Sedge followed John out of the office. Not that Elizabeth was surprised by that; it wasn't the first time something like that happened. Sedge seemed to have taken a liking to John since the first time they met. And throughout those few months, they had sort of bonded. She was glad about that; with her work, she couldn't take care of Sedge as much as she liked to and John helped her a lot on this side. Every time she couldn't take her for a walk, every time she couldn't take care of her, because she had mission briefings and debriefings, or more recently when she was sick, he had.
Sighing, she tried to get her mind back to her work. Their weekly status report to Earth was the next day and there was still so much to do.
Meanwhile, John, Teyla and Sedge had left for the mainland. The Athosian leader briefly wondered if she should have asked Carson to accompany them. But she knew there was no reason to; the doctor had examined Kalin two weeks before and he said that everything was normal and that they wouldn't need him. And if they ever needed him, they could still contact him or bring Kalin to the City.
"Stop worrying, everything will go fine. And Kalin will have a perfectly healthy child."
"I know," Teyla replied, not even surprised that he had known what she was thinking about; she wouldn't be surprised if it had been written all over her face anyway. "Thank you for taking me to the mainland."
"No thank you. I didn't want to write that report," he explained as he noticed her confused look.
She smiled at that. She always knew that John wasn't a big fan of paperwork; if he could avoid it he would, but with him being Atlantis military leader, he had twice as much. She also knew that Elizabeth would sometimes fight with him for it, but those quarrels didn't last; John knew better than to have an angry Elizabeth on his back.
"So, do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?"
"No. Doctor Beckett had offered Kalin and Merol to know, but they had refused. I actually don't understand why your people choose to find out before the birth."
"Well, some people don't like to be surprised or others want to buy precise things, and they can't do it if they don't know if they're having a boy or a girl."
"Would you like to know?"
"I don't know," he replied, quite surprised by her question. "But after all, I have time to think about that."
"Do you not want to have children?"
"I'd like to, but you know what they say, I need to find the mother first. And what about you?"
"I have given it a few thoughts since I became of age. Actually, most of the women of my age among my people already have a child or two, but like you said, I have to find a father first."
"Take your time, Teyla. You're still pretty young so don't rush it."
"I won't," she answered him with a smile to which he responded with one of his own.
Soon after, John landed in a clearing close to the Athosian's settlement. Thanking him once again, Teyla left quickly to join Kalin and her family, while John and Sedge took their time. They were quickly spotted by a few children playing nearby though.
"Colonel Sheppard," Jinto greeted him soon followed by his friends. "You're here for the blessing?"
"Yes. Teyla's already with Kalin."
"The baby's not born yet," Halling said, joining him while the kids started to play with Sedge. "It might take some time. But you're of course welcome to stay and to share our evening meal if you're still there."
"Thank you."
"Doctor Weir has not wished to accompany you?"
"No. She has to work, but I brought Sedge with us. I thought that they would be glad to see her."
"They are indeed," the Athosian replied as they watched Sedge chasing after Jinto. "What do you call them, again?"
"Dogs. It's sad that you don't have them in Pegasus. They're great companions for the humans, especially children."
"I can see that."
"So, could you describe the blessing for me?" John asked, quite curious about it.
"After a child is born, it is brought out for everyone to see. Then, the leader of our people takes the newborn in their arms and introduces it to the Ancestors. There are singings too, but they depend if it's a boy or a girl. Do you not celebrate a birth on your planet?" Halling wanted to know.
"Yes, but it's different. We do not have such a thing as your blessing, at least not that I know of and not so soon after the birth."
"I see. Could you tell me more about your rituals when a baby is born?"
John nodded and started telling him about some of the Earth's customs that took place around the birth.
They continued talking until a woman left Kalin's tent to announce the birth. The sun had just begun setting when Teyla, wearing a blue dress of Athosian design, went out with the baby in her arms. It was still naked despite the chill in the air so everyone could see it was a boy. The Athosians assembled around their leader as she started talking in Ancient. John didn't understand anything but planned to ask her during their jumper ride back to Atlantis.
Soon after, music began and Teyla started to sing. It was the first time he actually heard her sing. He knew from Carson that she had a great voice and now that he was listening to her he could only agree. By the time she stopped, he felt a weight on his right boot. Lowering his gaze to his feet, he saw Sedge's head lying there; she had obviously settled there when he was listening to the songs and he hadn't noticed her.
The night had fully settled when Teyla joined him, having changed back to her usual clothes. She sat down on his left and watched with him as her people continued to celebrate the new member of their community.
"It was beautiful," John said in a soft voice, breaking the silence between them.
"Every birth in my people is dearly celebrated. We had lost so many people because of the Wraith that every new life is a joy."
"They represent a reason to believe and to fight."
"Exactly." She was glad he understood what it meant to them. "I would have liked for Elizabeth to be there. It would have strengthened the bond between our people even more."
"How so?"
"When the leader of another people is there for a birth, they are asked to bless the child too. It gives it another protection."
"Have you told that to Elizabeth?"
"No. I knew she had a lot of work and I couldn't ask her to come knowing that. There would be other births to celebrate together," she reassured him when he started to protest. Both of them knew that Elizabeth would have followed without another thought if she knew what she would have been asked.
"Next time, don't hesitate to tell her. You and I both know that she works too much and that a little break would do her good."
"I will."
"So any births planned in the next few months…?" he asked and Teyla chuckled.
"Actually yes. Mayra will give birth in six of your months."
"Great. What are they doing?" John asked her as he saw the newborn being handed from one man to another.
"It's another of our customs. If the baby is a boy, every man has to hold it. We believe they would confer him their strength."
"Colonel Sheppard," Merol interrupted them.
"Merol. Congratulations for your son."
"Thank you. Would you like to hold him?"
"With pleasure," John answered.
Smiling, Merol placed the baby in John's awaiting arms. Though he had held babies before, it had never been so soon after the birth. He had never imagined that a newborn could be this light and small. Of course, he had seen pictures, but it wasn't the same.
"Here," John handed the baby back after a few minutes. "I'm sure he's going to be a healthy boy."
"We do hope so. Thank you, Teyla."
"I will come back tomorrow with Dr Beckett. I'm sure he'd like to be sure your son is fine."
She placed her hands on Merol's shoulders and touched his forehead with hers. The young father then left, thanking both of them once again.
"Shall we go, Colonel?" Teyla asked, turning towards John who stood up in answer.
"If you think you're done."
"I am."
"Then, we shall."
Saying goodbyes to the Athosians who were still celebrating, they made their way to the Jumper, Sedge in tow. John took a minute to muse over the fact that she had been particularly calm towards the end; usually she was running around till the last second, but it was like she had understood something was happening.
The three of them shared a companionable silence on their ride back to Atlantis. Neither John nor Teyla felt the need to talk, both still feeling the calmness that had taken place during the blessing. John already knew he would have to drag Elizabeth with them for the next birth, not only so she could bless the child too and take some rest, but because he knew she would love to witness the blessing for herself.
After they had landed in the Jumper Bay, John left Teyla to go to his quarters, still followed by Sedge; he had just one more thing to do before going to find Elizabeth. From the Jumper, he had noticed someone on the balcony just outside the control room, and despite the darkness, he was sure it was her.
And he was right. As soon as the door opened, he saw her by the railing.
"Hey, Sedge! Did you have fun?" Elizabeth crouched down as her dog joined her.
"She did. You should have come too," John said, as he came to stand beside her.
"You know I would have liked to, John. How was it?" she asked him and John described it for her.
"You should come next time," he told her after he was finished telling her about the blessing.
"I will," she promised and John made a mental note to remind her of that in six months.
John wasn't sure of what to do next. Her gaze had returned to the Ocean so he took time to really look at her. He had always noticed that she seemed more serene whenever she was on the balcony. As if every worry she might have were washed away by the Ocean wind.
"What are you smiling at?" she asked him, surprising him; lost in his contemplation, he had failed to notice that she had turned towards him.
"Nothing," he replied, quickly diverting his eyes. Even though he couldn't see her, he knew she was smiling. "Actually," he continued, looking back towards her as he took something out of his pocket and handed it towards her. "Happy Birthday."
She was surprised for a moment before she realised it was past midnight; it was technically her birthday. She took the present he was offering her in her hand. It was small, carefully wrapped in a cloth and she couldn't guess what it was.
"Open it," he told her and she did.
She gasped as she saw the silver-like necklace with the drop-shaped pendant. She didn't recognize the gem it was made of but before she could ask him, he started talking.
"I found it in a market place off-world. The woman I bought it from told me it was made of kosia or something like that and the chain is in…" She smiled as he struggled to remember the name. She had another question on her lips but he anticipated. "Anyway, McKay had run tests on it and deemed it safe. But if you ever see it glowing or doing anything it shouldn't do…," he joked and she chuckled a little.
"Thank you," she whispered as she wound her arms around his neck.
He was as surprised as the first time she had hugged him, but he soon recovered and wrapped his own arms around her back. They let go of each other after a few seconds, and he could see that she was touched by his present.
"Do you want me to…," he asked gesturing to the necklace still in her hands, and she nodded. He took it and she turned around, lifting her hair so he could see what he was doing. "Here you go," he said as he was done fastening the necklace around her neck.
"It's really beautiful," she said, fingering the pendant.
"I saw it and I thought it'd look good on you. And I was right."
"I'll have to find a way to thank you someday. You've taken care of me and Sedge when I was sick and you still do, and now that."
"No need to thank me. You would have done the same. But if you really want to thank me, you could…"
"No!" she interrupted him.
"But…"
"I said, no, John."
"How can you say that when you don't know what I want to ask?"
"So you tell me it has nothing to do with the evaluations?"
"How did you know?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
"John… I know you, how did you put it again? Oh yeah, hate writing those evaluations."
"I might have said that…," he admitted, reluctantly. "Well, I think it's time for me to go. After all, I need my beauty sleep," he joked and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. He watched as she laughed; those moments were so rare that he sometimes needed to be sure they happened. "Good night, Elizabeth, Sedge," he said after she had calmed down.
"Good Night, John. And thank you, again."
She watched as he left the balcony before going to sit against the wall. She knew she should go to sleep too, but she didn't want to for the moment. She wanted to enjoy the night while she could. She looked down to her necklace and smiled; he seemed to have gone out of his way this year to find her a birthday present.
Sedge took her place on the floor, her head resting on her owner's legs. Elizabeth started to absently stroke her head, thinking about the changes that had happened during the last year. While many things had happened in Atlantis since her last birthday, what was on top of her head was her impromptu meeting in the park with John; if that hadn't happened, things would have gone differently. Sedge would still be on Earth and she wouldn't take as many breaks.
And most of all, things with John wouldn't have evolved the way they did. They had gotten closer during those last months. She had given it a few thoughts before but it wasn't until tonight that she wondered where they actually stood with each other.
As much as she was thinking about it, she didn't have an answer yet.
Fini.
Author: vickysg1
Summary: A blessing, a present...
Type/Pairing: Romance, John/Elizabeth
Main Characters: John Sheppard, Elizabeth Weir, Teyla Emmagan
Rating: G
Spoilers: A small one for The Siege part 3 (2-01)
Beta: csiangel
Disclaimer: I own neither the show nor the characters. I don’t earn any money; I just do it for fun.
Author’s Note: And here we go, the 7th stories in the series. As always, it had taken a long time for me to write and post it… I'll try to do better next time! :P Thanks to all those who read and review this series!
Feedback: is love!
1. Meeting in a park
2. Going home
3. First day
4. Making new friends
5. A little prank
6. In sickness...
"John I'm fine, stop keeping watch on me like a mother hen," Elizabeth said without even looking up from the report she was reading.
"How did you know I was even there?" John asked from the threshold of her office.
"Let's just say I knew," she answered him, not knowing exactly how either; she couldn't explain but she just knew when he was around.
Ever since she fell sick two weeks prior, he had been there for her, even now that she had totally recovered. He had conscientiously seen that she ate three meals a day and that she didn't work too late at night. If in the first days after Carson allowed her back to work she had found it cute (not that she would admit it in front of anyone), now she was getting tired of it.
"Anyway," he continued, "Teyla has just asked me if I can take her to the mainland. Halling requested her presence ASAP."
"Why?" Elizabeth asked, worried that something had happened.
"Nothing serious," he reassured her as if sensing her thoughts. "One of the women is having her child...," he explained, struggling to remember the name Teyla gave him.
"Kalin," Elizabeth provided.
"How do you know? Has Teyla contacted you?"
"No, but she told me about her a few weeks ago. She told me she had to be there for the birth."
"Yeah, as the leader of her people, she has to bless the child as soon as it is born. So, I thought that maybe you and Sedge could come with us. It's been a little while since you had last been there..."
"We went there last week," she reminded him.
"Oh, really?" he feigned to have forgotten and she smiled at that. "So, are you coming?"
"I would have loved to, John, but I'm loaded with work," she said, pointing to her data pad.
"You can do it later…," he tried, though he knew it wouldn't work.
"John…"
"I know, I know. I'll take Sedge then."
"Thanks, John."
"No need to. I'm sure the kids would be happy to see her. Well, Teyla's waiting for us, so… See you later, Elizabeth. Sedge, you coming?" he said, gesturing for the dog to follow him.
Without even a look towards Elizabeth, Sedge followed John out of the office. Not that Elizabeth was surprised by that; it wasn't the first time something like that happened. Sedge seemed to have taken a liking to John since the first time they met. And throughout those few months, they had sort of bonded. She was glad about that; with her work, she couldn't take care of Sedge as much as she liked to and John helped her a lot on this side. Every time she couldn't take her for a walk, every time she couldn't take care of her, because she had mission briefings and debriefings, or more recently when she was sick, he had.
Sighing, she tried to get her mind back to her work. Their weekly status report to Earth was the next day and there was still so much to do.
Meanwhile, John, Teyla and Sedge had left for the mainland. The Athosian leader briefly wondered if she should have asked Carson to accompany them. But she knew there was no reason to; the doctor had examined Kalin two weeks before and he said that everything was normal and that they wouldn't need him. And if they ever needed him, they could still contact him or bring Kalin to the City.
"Stop worrying, everything will go fine. And Kalin will have a perfectly healthy child."
"I know," Teyla replied, not even surprised that he had known what she was thinking about; she wouldn't be surprised if it had been written all over her face anyway. "Thank you for taking me to the mainland."
"No thank you. I didn't want to write that report," he explained as he noticed her confused look.
She smiled at that. She always knew that John wasn't a big fan of paperwork; if he could avoid it he would, but with him being Atlantis military leader, he had twice as much. She also knew that Elizabeth would sometimes fight with him for it, but those quarrels didn't last; John knew better than to have an angry Elizabeth on his back.
"So, do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?"
"No. Doctor Beckett had offered Kalin and Merol to know, but they had refused. I actually don't understand why your people choose to find out before the birth."
"Well, some people don't like to be surprised or others want to buy precise things, and they can't do it if they don't know if they're having a boy or a girl."
"Would you like to know?"
"I don't know," he replied, quite surprised by her question. "But after all, I have time to think about that."
"Do you not want to have children?"
"I'd like to, but you know what they say, I need to find the mother first. And what about you?"
"I have given it a few thoughts since I became of age. Actually, most of the women of my age among my people already have a child or two, but like you said, I have to find a father first."
"Take your time, Teyla. You're still pretty young so don't rush it."
"I won't," she answered him with a smile to which he responded with one of his own.
Soon after, John landed in a clearing close to the Athosian's settlement. Thanking him once again, Teyla left quickly to join Kalin and her family, while John and Sedge took their time. They were quickly spotted by a few children playing nearby though.
"Colonel Sheppard," Jinto greeted him soon followed by his friends. "You're here for the blessing?"
"Yes. Teyla's already with Kalin."
"The baby's not born yet," Halling said, joining him while the kids started to play with Sedge. "It might take some time. But you're of course welcome to stay and to share our evening meal if you're still there."
"Thank you."
"Doctor Weir has not wished to accompany you?"
"No. She has to work, but I brought Sedge with us. I thought that they would be glad to see her."
"They are indeed," the Athosian replied as they watched Sedge chasing after Jinto. "What do you call them, again?"
"Dogs. It's sad that you don't have them in Pegasus. They're great companions for the humans, especially children."
"I can see that."
"So, could you describe the blessing for me?" John asked, quite curious about it.
"After a child is born, it is brought out for everyone to see. Then, the leader of our people takes the newborn in their arms and introduces it to the Ancestors. There are singings too, but they depend if it's a boy or a girl. Do you not celebrate a birth on your planet?" Halling wanted to know.
"Yes, but it's different. We do not have such a thing as your blessing, at least not that I know of and not so soon after the birth."
"I see. Could you tell me more about your rituals when a baby is born?"
John nodded and started telling him about some of the Earth's customs that took place around the birth.
They continued talking until a woman left Kalin's tent to announce the birth. The sun had just begun setting when Teyla, wearing a blue dress of Athosian design, went out with the baby in her arms. It was still naked despite the chill in the air so everyone could see it was a boy. The Athosians assembled around their leader as she started talking in Ancient. John didn't understand anything but planned to ask her during their jumper ride back to Atlantis.
Soon after, music began and Teyla started to sing. It was the first time he actually heard her sing. He knew from Carson that she had a great voice and now that he was listening to her he could only agree. By the time she stopped, he felt a weight on his right boot. Lowering his gaze to his feet, he saw Sedge's head lying there; she had obviously settled there when he was listening to the songs and he hadn't noticed her.
The night had fully settled when Teyla joined him, having changed back to her usual clothes. She sat down on his left and watched with him as her people continued to celebrate the new member of their community.
"It was beautiful," John said in a soft voice, breaking the silence between them.
"Every birth in my people is dearly celebrated. We had lost so many people because of the Wraith that every new life is a joy."
"They represent a reason to believe and to fight."
"Exactly." She was glad he understood what it meant to them. "I would have liked for Elizabeth to be there. It would have strengthened the bond between our people even more."
"How so?"
"When the leader of another people is there for a birth, they are asked to bless the child too. It gives it another protection."
"Have you told that to Elizabeth?"
"No. I knew she had a lot of work and I couldn't ask her to come knowing that. There would be other births to celebrate together," she reassured him when he started to protest. Both of them knew that Elizabeth would have followed without another thought if she knew what she would have been asked.
"Next time, don't hesitate to tell her. You and I both know that she works too much and that a little break would do her good."
"I will."
"So any births planned in the next few months…?" he asked and Teyla chuckled.
"Actually yes. Mayra will give birth in six of your months."
"Great. What are they doing?" John asked her as he saw the newborn being handed from one man to another.
"It's another of our customs. If the baby is a boy, every man has to hold it. We believe they would confer him their strength."
"Colonel Sheppard," Merol interrupted them.
"Merol. Congratulations for your son."
"Thank you. Would you like to hold him?"
"With pleasure," John answered.
Smiling, Merol placed the baby in John's awaiting arms. Though he had held babies before, it had never been so soon after the birth. He had never imagined that a newborn could be this light and small. Of course, he had seen pictures, but it wasn't the same.
"Here," John handed the baby back after a few minutes. "I'm sure he's going to be a healthy boy."
"We do hope so. Thank you, Teyla."
"I will come back tomorrow with Dr Beckett. I'm sure he'd like to be sure your son is fine."
She placed her hands on Merol's shoulders and touched his forehead with hers. The young father then left, thanking both of them once again.
"Shall we go, Colonel?" Teyla asked, turning towards John who stood up in answer.
"If you think you're done."
"I am."
"Then, we shall."
Saying goodbyes to the Athosians who were still celebrating, they made their way to the Jumper, Sedge in tow. John took a minute to muse over the fact that she had been particularly calm towards the end; usually she was running around till the last second, but it was like she had understood something was happening.
The three of them shared a companionable silence on their ride back to Atlantis. Neither John nor Teyla felt the need to talk, both still feeling the calmness that had taken place during the blessing. John already knew he would have to drag Elizabeth with them for the next birth, not only so she could bless the child too and take some rest, but because he knew she would love to witness the blessing for herself.
After they had landed in the Jumper Bay, John left Teyla to go to his quarters, still followed by Sedge; he had just one more thing to do before going to find Elizabeth. From the Jumper, he had noticed someone on the balcony just outside the control room, and despite the darkness, he was sure it was her.
And he was right. As soon as the door opened, he saw her by the railing.
"Hey, Sedge! Did you have fun?" Elizabeth crouched down as her dog joined her.
"She did. You should have come too," John said, as he came to stand beside her.
"You know I would have liked to, John. How was it?" she asked him and John described it for her.
"You should come next time," he told her after he was finished telling her about the blessing.
"I will," she promised and John made a mental note to remind her of that in six months.
John wasn't sure of what to do next. Her gaze had returned to the Ocean so he took time to really look at her. He had always noticed that she seemed more serene whenever she was on the balcony. As if every worry she might have were washed away by the Ocean wind.
"What are you smiling at?" she asked him, surprising him; lost in his contemplation, he had failed to notice that she had turned towards him.
"Nothing," he replied, quickly diverting his eyes. Even though he couldn't see her, he knew she was smiling. "Actually," he continued, looking back towards her as he took something out of his pocket and handed it towards her. "Happy Birthday."
She was surprised for a moment before she realised it was past midnight; it was technically her birthday. She took the present he was offering her in her hand. It was small, carefully wrapped in a cloth and she couldn't guess what it was.
"Open it," he told her and she did.
She gasped as she saw the silver-like necklace with the drop-shaped pendant. She didn't recognize the gem it was made of but before she could ask him, he started talking.
"I found it in a market place off-world. The woman I bought it from told me it was made of kosia or something like that and the chain is in…" She smiled as he struggled to remember the name. She had another question on her lips but he anticipated. "Anyway, McKay had run tests on it and deemed it safe. But if you ever see it glowing or doing anything it shouldn't do…," he joked and she chuckled a little.
"Thank you," she whispered as she wound her arms around his neck.
He was as surprised as the first time she had hugged him, but he soon recovered and wrapped his own arms around her back. They let go of each other after a few seconds, and he could see that she was touched by his present.
"Do you want me to…," he asked gesturing to the necklace still in her hands, and she nodded. He took it and she turned around, lifting her hair so he could see what he was doing. "Here you go," he said as he was done fastening the necklace around her neck.
"It's really beautiful," she said, fingering the pendant.
"I saw it and I thought it'd look good on you. And I was right."
"I'll have to find a way to thank you someday. You've taken care of me and Sedge when I was sick and you still do, and now that."
"No need to thank me. You would have done the same. But if you really want to thank me, you could…"
"No!" she interrupted him.
"But…"
"I said, no, John."
"How can you say that when you don't know what I want to ask?"
"So you tell me it has nothing to do with the evaluations?"
"How did you know?" he asked, genuinely surprised.
"John… I know you, how did you put it again? Oh yeah, hate writing those evaluations."
"I might have said that…," he admitted, reluctantly. "Well, I think it's time for me to go. After all, I need my beauty sleep," he joked and she couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. He watched as she laughed; those moments were so rare that he sometimes needed to be sure they happened. "Good night, Elizabeth, Sedge," he said after she had calmed down.
"Good Night, John. And thank you, again."
She watched as he left the balcony before going to sit against the wall. She knew she should go to sleep too, but she didn't want to for the moment. She wanted to enjoy the night while she could. She looked down to her necklace and smiled; he seemed to have gone out of his way this year to find her a birthday present.
Sedge took her place on the floor, her head resting on her owner's legs. Elizabeth started to absently stroke her head, thinking about the changes that had happened during the last year. While many things had happened in Atlantis since her last birthday, what was on top of her head was her impromptu meeting in the park with John; if that hadn't happened, things would have gone differently. Sedge would still be on Earth and she wouldn't take as many breaks.
And most of all, things with John wouldn't have evolved the way they did. They had gotten closer during those last months. She had given it a few thoughts before but it wasn't until tonight that she wondered where they actually stood with each other.
As much as she was thinking about it, she didn't have an answer yet.
Fini.